[Physics Class Notes] on Physical Significance of Electric Field Pdf for Exam

An electric field that we are already aware of is said to be an elegant way of characterizing the electrical environment of a system of charges. The electric field said to be at any point in space around a system of charges represents the force of a unit positive test charge which generally would experience if placed at that point. The term field that we have learned in the subject in physics generally refers to a quantity defined at every point in space and may vary from point to point.

It’s the physical field that surrounds charged particles and has an effect on all other charged particles in the field, either attracting them or repelling them. 

Electric fields are produced by electric charges or by magnetic fields that vary over time. The electric field, for example, is the attractive force that holds the atomic nucleus and electrons together in atoms in atomic physics and chemistry.

Additionally, it is the force that is responsible for the chemical bonding of atoms to form molecules.

This means that the electric field around a system of charges shows how much force a positive test charge would get if it were placed there. 

Most of the time, the term field means something that is the same at every point in space and can change from one place to another. 

Because force is a vector, the electric field is a vector field, which means it moves in the same direction.

Detailed Description of Electric Field

The electric field which we have seen is said to be defined at each point in space as the force per unit charge that would be experienced by a vanishingly small positive test charge held at that point. The vector fields of this form are sometimes referred to as force fields. This is said to be the basis for the law of Coulomb’s which states that for stationary charges the electric field varies with the source charge and is said to be inverse with the square of the distance from the source. 

This means that if the source the charge which was doubled then the electric field would double and after doubling we see that if we move twice as far away from the source the field at that point would be only one-quarter its original strength.

The electric field w can be visualized with a set of lines whose direction at each point is the same as the field’s, a concept introduced by Michael Faraday whose term ‘lines of force’ is still sometimes used. Then we can see that the field lines are the paths that a point positive charge would follow as it is forced to move within the field that is said to be similar to trajectories that masses follow within a gravitational field.

Physical Significance of Electric Field

Under Static Condition

An electric field describes the electrical environment around a system of charges when they are in a stable state. It is defined at each location and differs from one to the next.

Non-Static Electromagnetic Condition

The accelerated motion of the charge causes electromagnetic waves to travel with a speed of c and exert a force on another charge in this situation. The transport of energy is linked to time-dependent magnetic and electric fields.

The electric field is a feature of a charging system that is independent of the test charge. Charge interaction is electromagnetic.

When dealing with time-dependent electromagnetic phenomena, the actual physical signs of the electric field appear.

Consider the accelerated motion of two distant charges, q1 and q2. The effect of q1 motion on q2 does not appear immediately. Between the effect and the cause, there will be a time delay. The electric field accounts for this time delay as follows: Electromagnetic waves are produced by q1’s accelerated velocity. These waves travel at c, reaching the charge q2 and exerting a force on it. This explains the time difference.

Electric and magnetic fields are viewed as tangible entities, not just mathematical constructions, even though they can only be identified through their effects (forces) on charges. 

They have their dynamics, in other words, they evolve according to their own set of rules. 

They also can carry energy. As a result, a source of time-dependent electromagnetic fields that are turned on and off briefly leaves energy-carrying back-propagating electromagnetic fields. 

Faraday was the first to establish the concept of the field, which is now one of the most important concepts in physics.

Conclusion

This is all about the significance of an electric field in different conditions. Follow the concepts clearly and understand how an electric field behaves in different conditions.